


Won't You Come On Over

by lenaisawriter



Series: A Rush At The Beginning [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Bisexual Isabelle Lightwood, Bisexual buddies, Bisexuality, Clary/Izzy - Freeform, Clizzy - Freeform, F/F, Fluff, Friendship, Hanging Out, Izzy is SO Gay for Clary the sequel, Lesbian Clary Fray, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, POV Magnus Bane, Pining, Supportive Magnus Bane, isn't he always tho? magnus is just the best lets face it, just a pinch rlly, this fics title is brought to you by amy winehouse, valerie is an iconic wlw song, with a smattering of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-20 01:02:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15522621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lenaisawriter/pseuds/lenaisawriter
Summary: Izzy comes to Magnus looking for some advice concerning love.





	Won't You Come On Over

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to [ Swing A Little Further ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15350463) , but both stories can be read as stand-alones.
> 
> I also made [a playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/lenaisanerd/playlist/3mc2TVWPFXHM9aWTee40Qv) for this fic.  
> [ Read on Tumblr.](http://lenaisanerd.tumblr.com/post/176514340032/wont-you-come-on-over)

“ _Y_ _ou’ve reached the voicemail of Magnus Bane. Please don’t leave a message at the tone. I’m centuries old and even I think it’s outdated .”_

_“Magnus, it’s Izzy. Listen, we need to talk. Call me back as soon as you get this.”_

 A click resounded in Magnus’ ear, signalling the abrupt end of Isabelle’s message. The warlock stared at his phone in bemusement when next to him the coffee pot on the stove began to make gurgling noises. Magnus turned off the heat and divided the coffee between two cups, then added milk to one of them and handed the other cup to a very sleepy Alec, who had just walked into the kitchen. Alec took a careful sip and pressed a warm, coffee-flavoured kiss to his boyfriend’s lips. He pulled back, smiling softly, his hand resting on Magnus’ waist. Then he turned and padded out of the kitchen again.

 Magnus followed to find Alec sitting at the table in the living room, looking out of the window at the thick clouds gathered over the East River and the Manhattan skyline. He had decided a while ago that he would never fully understand Alec’s enjoyment of rainy or gloomy weather. Admittedly, the steady patter of rain was soothing, and he even enjoyed the cool air flowing into the room through the open balcony door after the last few weeks had been relentlessly hot and humid. But rain like this, unending and monotone, just depressed him after a while, not to mention that leaving the house always meant getting ever so slightly wet, which was not one of Magnus’ favourite states of being.

 Alec, however, seemed to delight in every rainstorm or light drizzle. It made him calm and he loved the fresh, cool air and the smell of rain on asphalt that permeated the city. In the soft grey light of the early morning his hazel eyes looked almost entirely green, framed by dark lashes still heavy with sleep. Magnus smiled fondly. Sometimes his boyfriend’s beauty still astounded him.

“I should call Isabelle back. Whatever it is sounds important.”

Alec’s brows furrowed. “Izzy called? On a Saturday, before 8 a.m.? Is something wrong?”

 “Don’t worry, she didn’t seem too concerned. Besides,” Magnus said with a wry smile, dialing his phone, “she only called once and is not currently barging through the front door, so I expect she does not require immediate assistance.”

The phone rang one, two times, then Izzy’s clear voice came through the speaker: “Magnus, hi!”

She sounded out of breath, and in the background Magnus could hear the clanging of wood and metal echo through what must have been the Institute’s training room.

“Hey, Isabelle, you called earlier? Said you wanted to talk? I’m sorry, we just got up. You know how your brother is before he’s had coffee.”

Alec pulled a face at him. Magnus grinned.

“You… oh fuck, I’m sorry, did I wake you two up? I didn’t think about the time, I’ve been up for hours--”

“No, no, don’t worry, you didn’t disturb us. What’s the matter?”

 The line went quiet for a moment. “Um, well. I was wondering if we could hang out today? Just the two of us? Of course if you want to spend the day with Alec, I completely understand, forget I asked.”

Normally, Isabelle Lightwood was a good bit more eloquent and less apologetic than this. _Something is bothering her_ , Magnus thought. _Well, there is only one solution._

“I would love to spend time with you. When should I expect you?”

 Izzy seemed momentarily taken aback, but quickly caught herself, sounding carefree as ever. “Let me shower and get ready first, I’ll be there in an hour. See you then. Say hi to my brother dearest for me.”

“I’ll do that. Goodbye, Isabelle.”

Alec got up and finished the last of his coffee just as Magnus hung up.

“Your sister sends her greetings, and herself. She’s coming over.”

“Then I guess I should make myself scarce for a few hours?”

Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec’s waist, who returned the embrace.

“Gotta say, it’s pretty cold of you, just kicking me out like that,” Alec said with a completely straight face.

 Although he would never tell him that, sometimes Alec’s deadpan humour almost fooled Magnus, with the Shadowhunter’s uncanny ability to instantly switch from sincere to sarcastic.

 “Well, it’s for a good cause. And we’ll have the whole afternoon and evening to ourselves. We could order some food, watch a movie. I would even,” Magnus said with deliberation, “go on a walk with you. In the rain.”

Alec relented and his expression softened. He sighed.

 “I still have some work to do back at the Institute anyway. I’ll go in now and when I come back,” he smiled deviously, “I’ll take you up on that walk offer. No umbrellas.”

 Magnus leaned back against the safe grip of Alec’s arms, raising one hand to his temple and fluttering his eyelids with dramatic flair.

 “Oh, what have I done to deserve such a merciless lover? Will he never let me rest?”

 Alec giggled and pulled Magnus back up so the warlock could kiss him languidly, until Magnus finally let go to allow him to get his shoes and jacket.

 

* * *

 

 

“I’m just saying, if you think that Cate Blanchett is not the hottest person on screen at any given time, you are wrong! Wrong and blind!” Izzy said between sips of tea.

  “Are you kidding me? This movie gives you Rihanna, Anne Hathaway _and_ Richard Armitage and you go only for Cate Blanchett? You are limiting yourself.” Magnus gestured pointedly at her with the nail polish brush he was holding.

  Izzy scoffed. “Richard Armitage was barely in this movie, and you want to tell me he’s more beautiful than Cate Blanchett? Please. He’s like a snooty Hugh Jackman. Don’t tell me you think that’s attractive.”

  Magnus raised his eyebrows and said nothing. Instead he concentrated on applying a clean second coat of polish to Isabelle’s toenails. Her leg stretched almost the length of the sofa, with Magnus sitting on the opposite end, her foot in his lap. Almost two hours after Izzy had arrived at the loft the coffee table was crowded with snacks, a teapot and cups, and several bottles of nail polish. Isabelle’s fingernails were already coloured a deep violet, and she was holding her teacup gingerly to not mess up the paint job. A _Bangles_ album was playing softly on the stereo, the beat intermingling with the sound of raindrops hitting metal roofs.

 “There, Mademoiselle Lightwood. All done,” Magnus said as he performed a small flourish with the brush on Isabelle’s nail.

  Isabelle sat up and pulled her knees to her chest to admire his work. The whole time she had spent at his apartment, Izzy had not dropped even a hint regarding the topic she had been so eager to discuss this morning on the phone. This was a fact Magnus was keenly aware of, and he was itching to ask her about it.

  But a lot of experience interacting with the Lightwood siblings had taught him differently. They could rarely be pushed into talking about a specific thing and would only say something when they were absolutely ready for it. Which of course didn’t mean they were always graceful about it. Alec had a habit of stumbling over words when he tried to get something out of his system as quickly as possible and hadn’t really thought about what he was going to say.

  With Izzy, however, it was the opposite. She would decide she had to talk about something, but then spent anywhere from ten minutes to the next few hours talking about anything _but_ what was on her mind originally, until she felt sufficiently prepared to do it, at which point she would change the topic very suddenly. Attempting to hurry that process along would cause her to clam up immediately.

 So the only thing to do was to wait. And Magnus was no stranger to waiting after all the time he had been alive, but that didn’t mean he liked doing it.

 “Flawless, as always,” Izzy said, still examining her perfectly manicured nails. “Who knew 800-something-year-olds had such steady hands?”

  “Well, let’s see how steady your hands are, young whippersnapper,” Magnus shot back with a smirk, “you’re doing mine next. But first--” he stood and picked up the tea tray--”I’m making some more tea. Any requests?”

 Izzy smiled magnanimously and finished her cup. “Surprise me!”

  Magnus nodded and turned towards the kitchen. As he measured tea leaves into the pot he heard steps behind him, and then a soft thump. The warlock looked up to see Isabelle perched on the counter next to where he was standing, her bare feet dangling above the floor, dark eyes watching his motions intently.

  “Already bored without me?” Magnus asked, only half joking. Izzy could have something of an impatient streak, especially when there was something on her mind she’d rather not think about.

  “Hmm?” Izzy made a distracted little sound and looked up at Magnus. “I was just wondering if you needed some help, that’s all,” she replied, in a tone that was so casual it was almost conspicuous. “Feels weird, suddenly doing nothing after all that work at the Institute. The last week was hell.”

  Magnus sighed in sympathy. “Tell me about it. I was doing work for clients all week, otherwise I would have come to help you with that demon infestation. Why is it that people always decide they want something from you when ten others decide the same thing?”

 “Right? If I ever have to fix some kids’ stele again it will be too soon. I’m pretty sure we didn’t break our shit this often when we were junior Hunters.”

  The kettle whistled. Magnus took it off the stove to fill the tea pot with hot water. “What _did_ you do back then?” He chuckled to himself. “I don’t know if I can imagine you and Alec running around killing demons when you were children.”

  “That’s basically what we did though. Training, going on missions. Nothing big, obviously. We were all around 12, maybe 13 years old when we got our first runes, at that age you bust up a few lesser demons, maybe investigate some minor cases, and you’re done for the night.” Izzy grinned. “We used to come home after missions at like 3 a.m. and just fall into bed. Of course that meant the mission report usually got handed in late, but sometimes if it was really important and Jace and I begged him to do it, Alec would stay up and finish it. God, we were horrible.”

  Although she seemed to remember all of this fondly, Magnus couldn’t help but feel a sort of protective instinct for the younger versions of Izzy, Alec, and Jace. Shadowhunters had truly strange notions of what was an appropriate task for a group of literal children. He rarely saw the youngest of the Shadowhunters at the Institute or out on a mission. But when he did spot some he wanted to take them all aside, give them some chocolate, a glass of milk and a sandwich, and send them all home to bed. They were just so _young._ Hell, Magnus wondered sometimes if Alec running an entire Institute at 23 was taking on a heavier duty than what he could, what he _should_ _have to_ endure. Dying young was no excuse to raise children as soldiers first, people second.

 It was probably best not to think about that too much right now, though. That would just make him angry. And sad.

 “You probably were. Then again, in my experience, most teenagers are horrible to a certain degree.”

  Izzy nodded in agreement. Over the last year, an ever increasing stream of stories about the youngest Lightwood, Max, had reached Magnus, and judging by the tales of his exploits, the little terror was at least as much of a troublemaker as his older siblings. Which, of course, didn’t stop them from being frustrated and concerned.

  “Alec wasn’t though. Horrible, I mean,” Izzy said fondly. ”Sure, he stuck too close to the rules. He’d act like Mom. He seemed to hate fun. But he was always looking out for me and Jace, often taking the heat for the stuff we’d done. And when he couldn’t keep us out of trouble, he would join in.”

  “What sort of trouble?” Magnus was genuinely curious. Alec didn’t actively avoid the subject of his teenage years, it just didn’t come up often. Especially not the no doubt adorable stupidities he and his siblings had committed.

  Isabelle thought for a moment, pursing her lips. “I remember we snuck out of the Institute once to go to some party, and it was summer. We were on our way back, it was really late, it was getting light. Alec wanted to hurry back home, because people would start waking up soon, and they’d notice we were gone. But Jace decided it would be fun to go swimming.” She grinned. “He might have been drunk at the time. Anyway, so we’re walking through Central Park, and Alec keeps trying to tell him it’s a bad idea, and Jace just takes off running and jumps over the fence into the Reservoir.”

 Both of them burst into sudden laughter. Magnus thought that he had never heard something so distinctly _Jace_.

  “Of course he got scratched up terribly by the bushes and trees on his way down the bank,” Izzy said when she had calmed down a bit, her shoulders still shaking with suppressed laughter, “and the water by the shore is way too shallow for swimming, so he just wades in, trying to get out into the deeper parts, and he is just _covered_ in leaves and twigs and mud. He looked like the Creature from the Black Lagoon.”

 “And what did you do?”

  “I joined him, of course. I just had the sense to take off my clothes first. And I didn’t just vault over the fence, I chose a spot where the bank was clear and the water deeper. So I swim out a little ways, and Alec is still standing on the pathway. I couldn’t really hear what he was saying, I was too far away, but he was probably trying to get us to come out.”

 Magnus had no trouble imagining Alec as a lanky teen, exhausted after an illicit night out and exasperated with his siblings’ antics.

 “Did you do as he said?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

 Izzy grinned. “Like I said, we were horrible. We just swam out further.”

 “And Alec?”

 Isabelle was silent for a moment, letting the suspense build.

 “He jumped in after us.”

 Magnus let out a laugh. “No!”

  “Yes!” Izzy, too, was laughing again. “He undressed, and just jumped in. I guess he gave up, or maybe he decided he’d have an easier time getting us to come out from the water, or maybe he was fresh out of fucks to give about getting back home on time or reigning us in. So there we are, me and Alec in our underwear, and Jace still dressed, boots and all, swimming in the Central Park Reservoir at dawn. It was amazing.” Her laughter trailed off, the last tremors of it still clinging to her lips. “We were in _so much_ trouble when we arrived at the Institute early in the morning, with Jace dripping wet.”

 “You got grounded?”

 “Yeah, and we were on cleaning duty for the next month. But it was worth it.”

  Chuckling, Magnus transferred the pot onto the tea tray, and they made their way back into the living room. The rain dampened the noise of the traffic outside. Although it was still before noon, the thick blanket of clouds meant the daylight was weak and gloomy, and with a flick of his hand Magnus turned on several lamps strewn around the loft.

 Isabelle had grown quiet, her arms wrapped around her torso as she sat down. As Magnus leaned forward to fill their cups, he heard her deep intake of breath, felt the nervous bounce of her leg on the sofa.

 “Do you ever-- I mean, have you-- do you think there’s a difference, between dating men and dating women? Have you ever noticed something like that?”

  Izzy had spoken very quickly, almost as if she was ashamed of the question. Now, however, she was looking resolutely ahead at Magnus, her insecurity betrayed only by her teeth digging into her lower lip.

 Magnus considered the question for a moment.

  “When one has lived as long as I have, these differences even out more and more. Every relationship is different, because every person is unique. In my experience, at least, a partner’s gender doesn’t matter much. What matters is whether or not there is a connection.”

 “Like with Alec?”

 Magnus nodded, a tiny smile sneaking onto his lips.

 Izzy didn’t look entirely satisfied with this answer.

 “I might not be the best person to ask, though,” Magnus admitted. “After all, my love life isn’t exactly what you’d call a universal experience.”

 In response, Izzy uncrossed her arms. She inhaled deeply again, almost steeling herself to talk.

 “It’s just-- I don’t know. For me, being with guys feels… different? Not bad, definitely, just a different sort of connection.”

 “I would say there’s nothing wrong with having a preference, or feeling a difference. Being bisexual is not the same for everyone all the time.”

  Her eyes wandered through the apartment and out of the window. “Yeah, I know. But I’m wondering if a relationship with a girl can work, if I can make it work. I guess I just realized that don’t have much experience being in serious relationships with men, but I have even less experience with women.”

  _Ah_ , Magnus thought. _There it is_. This was what Isabelle had been so anxious about. Of course it was a matter of the heart (it nearly always was in such cases).

 Best to go at this gently then. “I’m guessing there is one specific reason you’ve been thinking about this?”

 Like a deer caught in headlights, Izzy’s eyes snapped back to Magnus’. She swallowed hard.

 “I might have… a crush. On-- on Clary.”

  Magnus had to admit, this took him slightly aback. It wasn’t a complete surprise, though. Ever since the group of young Nephilim had first come to him for help Isabelle and Clary had seemed particularly fond of one another, their comradery resembling that of Alec and Jace even though they had only known each other for a few days. Over the following year this initial bond had grown into a deep friendship. Now that he thought about it, the two of them exchanged quite a few lingering looks, casual touches. No, this hadn’t come out of nowhere.

 “And you haven’t told her?” he asked in a soft voice.

 “No!” Izzy said loudly, and then quieter, “I needed to talk to someone who’d understand, who would know what to do. To you.”

  Deep in his chest Magnus felt a warm rush of affection for his friend, mixed with more than a little pride that out of all her family and friends she would turn to him for advice on this, that she would share such an intimate secret with him.

 “And anyway, I don’t even know if she feels the same way. What if I tell her and it breaks everything we have?”

 She crossed her arms again and tucked both feet up onto the couch, curling up into herself more and more.

  “I haven’t exactly had the best track record with relationships either, if you can call them that. Don’t get me wrong, I was never unhappy. But… well, most of them didn’t end well, if they ever really started. I don’t want that. For me or for her. Again, _if_ I ever tell her _and_ she likes me back.”

  Isabelle’s voice had grown ever quieter while she talked. Now she was staring down into her lap, thick black hair falling forward over her shoulders and into her face. The music had stopped a while ago, and the rain was coming down harder, roaring in Magnus’ ears almost as loudly as the sudden stillness that had settled over the room. He shuffled down the length of the sofa until the side of his leg rested reassuringly against Izzy’s shins. Leaning back into the couch pillows he cleared his throat.

  “You know, I’ve never told him this, but when I met Alec I was not sure he was interested in me,” he said softly. He felt Izzy’s gaze shift up towards him, but he looked down at his hands, playing absentmindedly with one of his many rings. “I know, in hindsight I must have seemed absolutely confident that he would fight for this, for what we have now. And sometimes I _was_ actually convinced he felt the same about me as I did about him. Sometimes that confidence was real. But other times… it felt like I was on a fool’s errand. Like I was chasing this boy who would never admit to himself who he was. Like I couldn’t help him. Like I would run myself ragged trying to do something I was stupid to even try.”

  He looked up at Izzy. “Over the years I have had quite a few crushes that went unreciprocated. It always hurts, even when you expect it. But being with Alexander has been worth a hundred times the fear I felt that he would reject me. Don’t run and hide, Isabelle. You’re a warrior. Fight for love.”

  Isabelle said nothing, her deep brown eyes scanning his face. Then she sat up, unfolded her legs and put her feet back on the ground, and wrapped her arms around him. She relaxed into him as Magnus hugged her back, and they sat still like this for a moment. When Izzy drew back, Magnus could have sworn her eyes were a little misty.

  “Thank you,” she said, her voice mostly steady. “I think… well, I’m not gonna pretend I know what to do now,” she let out a shaky little laugh, “but you definitely helped. So much. Thanks.”

  “It was my pleasure. And thank _you,_ for bringing your problems to this ridiculous, sappy old warlock,” Magnus replied with a grin. Izzy laughed again, longer and surer this time.

 “Now,” Magnus continued, “tell me: Why Clary? What do you like about her?”

  As Isabelle launched into a long list of her favourite things about Clary, starting with “her smile” and ending somewhere around “the way she frowns when she doesn’t like the song that’s playing, but doesn’t want to skip it because she knows you like it”, Magnus settled into the couch and snapped his fingers to turn the stereo back on. The music and the rain ran together into a melodious background hum as Izzy talked and Magnus listened with interest, occasionally offering up remarks. The tea on the coffee table  grew cold. The wind blew coolly through the curtains.

 

* * *

 

When Alec got home that afternoon, Izzy was just on her way out.

  “Alec!” She beamed at him, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and drew him into a hug. This burst of affection and happiness was a little surprising; after all, Magnus had said she had sounded anxious on the phone this morning.

 “Hey,” he said, smiling at her as she released him. “Everything okay, Iz?”

  “Yep, I’m great now. Thanks for letting me borrow your boyfriend, big brother. I’ve hogged him for long enough, so I’d better leave you two lovebirds alone.” She smirked as he rolled his eyes, and after a quick “bye” in the direction of the kitchen she slipped out of the door.

 Following the sounds of dishes clattering, Alec walked through into the kitchen, where Magnus was busy putting away a clean teapot and cups. He walked up to the warlock and wrapped his arms around him from behind, resting his chin on Magnus’ shoulder. Magnus tilted his head sideways so their cheeks touched and let out a contented hum.

 “Izzy seems happy,” Alec said after a minute. “What did she want to talk to you about?”

 “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to say. But,” Magnus replied with a smile, “I expect you’ll find out soon enough, if Isabelle takes my excellent advice to heart.”

 Alec’s curiosity wasn’t satisfied, but he knew when to stop prying. Instead he remembered his boyfriend’s promise from that morning.

 “So. About that walk.”

 Magnus gave a little sigh before he turned around to kiss Alec. Pulling back, he took Alec’s hand and walked towards the door, stopping only to grab his jacket on the way out.

  When the door clicked shut behind them, the loft was quiet once again, filled only with the rustling of the curtains in the breeze coming in through the open balcony doors, the noise wafting up from the busy streets of Brooklyn below, and the ever-present, quietly insistent sound of the warm summer rain, falling.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, leaving kudos, and commenting. All your responses make me incredibly happy, they motivate me to write more!
> 
> My betas and best friends disaster-lesbiab, raisehades and beesarekind on Tumblr also keep me writing. Thank you guys so much for supporting me always and listening to my thoughts on every second sentence. I wouldn't be able to do this without your help!  
> [ Playlist.](https://open.spotify.com/user/lenaisanerd/playlist/3mc2TVWPFXHM9aWTee40Qv)  
> [ My writing on Tumblr.](http://lenaisanerd.tumblr.com/tagged/fanfuckery)


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